


Be my friend

by reveetoile



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Genie/Djinn, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26422861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reveetoile/pseuds/reveetoile
Summary: Ohno is a genie. Nino stumbles upon Ohno, and they wish for Ohno to be free so they can be Nino’s new friend. This seems awkward to Ohno at first, but they warm up to Nino and end up crushing on them.
Relationships: Ninomiya Kazunari/Ohno Satoshi
Comments: 24
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably as much a short chaptered story as “The Lighthouse” has been. I wanted to start it but can’t really work out how it will go and how long it will end up. So please bear with me. I’m sorry if I’m spamming or this ends up being awful.

Nino stared with wide eyes at the ghost that had just come out of the box he had found. His mouth was wide open as he stared up at the man that hovered slightly above him. 

“Who are you?” he stuttered after a moment in which the other just stared at him with slight amusement in his eyes. 

“I’m the genie of this lamp. Ohno Satoshi at your service,” he said. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he bowed low as if he had succeeded in a prank that he had played on Nino. 

“A genie? What… How? Why?”

“Yes, a genie. Since you found me, I will grant you three wishes. So what are those?”

Nino opened his mouth as to answer right away before he stopped himself. The first thought in his mind was lots of money, but somehow he thought that was wrong. 

“I need to think about it,” he said in the end. The genie pouted but then nodded in agreement. 

“You may take the box with you, and if you call my name I will appear and grant you the wishes,” he mumbled, and Nino frowned for a second as the genie disappeared again. He stared at the box for a second almost sure that he had dreamed it all, but as he gingerly shook the box, he was confident that he could hear the voice asking him not to do so as it was nauseating.

He put it in his back and went home, still unsure as to what to do. Asking for richness or millions of wishes would be easy but also feel like cheating. He sighed as he put the box gingerly on his desk and stared at it for a long while. He sighed as an hour went by without him being able to decide, and he decided to go to bed for now. The box would still be there the next day, he thought.

—

Nino sat again in front of his desk. The small boy now in the middle of it, right in front of him, as he stared at it. He still wondered about why he picked it up even to begin with. He rubbed a marking with his thumb and sighed. He should probably face that genie now, or he would worry all the time. 

He stared at it, biting his lips as he tried to decide how to call the genie. “Ohno?” he tried in a small voice. “Genie-san?”

He almost shrieked when the box rocked on the table, and he moved back a little bit as the genie appeared on top of his desk. SO maybe it was not his smartest choice to call him while the box stood on his desk he thought as he flinched because the genie hit his head on his ceiling. 

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly as the genie hissed and rubbed his head as he sat on top of the desk. 

“That hurt.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled again, but the genie shrugged and swayed his legs as he sat. “So have you decided on your wishes already? I can make you the king of a country, bestow gold and jewellery onto you or make you pass any tests.”

“Those are either things I don’t want to or that I want to work myself to reach,” Nino mumbled.

“Then, why did you call me?”

“I just liked the box,” he mumbled. 

The genie blinked for a moment, but then he chuckled. “You are a funny one.”

“How did you end up in there? How do genies come to existence?”

Ohno stared at him for a long while, trying to decide what to answer before he sighed. “We are cursed.”

“Cursed, why?”

Ohno shrugged as he stared at the ceiling. “I don’t want to scare you.”

Nino pursed his lips at those words. “So you are a bad person?”

Ohno didn’t answer that, and Nino wrinkled his forehead. “Is there a way to break the curse?”

“A kind soul can set me free if he wishes to do so, but I lost hope to meet such a soul.”

“Is there a catch?”

“What catch?”

“Like if one would set you free, would they end up cursed themselves?”

“Not if they are kindhearted, and do so because it’s their honest wish.”

“Huh…” Nino mumbled and frowned. 

“Do you want to grant me freedom?” Ohno asked suddenly a bit more animatedly. It had been a long time since someone asked him those questions. 

“Maybe. I don’t want anything in particular, but I think it’s a sad way to live like you,” he mumbled. “But…”

“But?” Ohno asked, his face falling slightly again. 

“I… I would wish for you to be free in exchange for you becoming my friend,” he said in the end.

“What?”

“I don’t want to force you,” Nino added. “Because that would be wrong as well. But… If I wished you free, would you stay for a while?”

“I think, I can do that,” Ohno said slowly. “Even if that is a bizarre wish, you realise that, right? And it would benefit me mostly as I need time to find my place here again.”

Nino smiled as he nodded. “So it would benefit us both,” he agreed.

“Why would you want to wish for a friend. Don’t you have enough already?”

Nino grimaced and shook his head slowly before he shrugged. He had friends, alright. A handful, no too many because who needed a thousand friends? But he felt lonely at the moment.

“Just for a while,” he said then. “And I won’t get cursed right?”

“As long as your wish for me to be free comes from your heart, no.”

“Even if the reason is a bit selfish?”

Ohno shrugged. He didn’t know so he couldn’t promise, but if the intent behind the wish was genuine, he didn’t see a problem.

“Will people miss me if it goes wrong?”

“No, they won’t know anymore you ever existed.”

“That sounds lonely,” Nino breathed, his heart slightly hurting for the genie as he shrugged again. 

“You get used to it.”

“I don’t believe you,” Nino said in the end and then sighed. For a second he wished to be able to put Ohno back into the box and never think of him again, but now knowing how Ohno probably suffered for centuries, he knew he couldn’t. No even for another hour. 

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “My wish is for you to be free,” he said clearly, opening his eyes as he felt a breeze in his room, staring at Ohno whose eyes widened as he waited for what was going to happen to him now.


	2. Chapter 2

Ohno was grinning at him when a minute or so had gone by, and Nino had not turned into stone or something like that. Nino was not even sure he knew what he expected. 

The genie giggled and poked his cheek, his face full of wonder and enchantment when he actually could feel his warm skin against his fingertips. It had been long since he had felt human warmth like that. 

Nino’s lips dropped open at the touch and then relaxed as he realised that he was still completely human. 

“It worked?”

“Yep. It seems like your wish was really pure,” Ohno said, tapping the box that was now just a box and not his prison anymore. 

Nino shrugged a little bit insecure as he didn’t feel as if he had made a very pure or honest wish. He had after all made a deal with Ohno and Ohno was supposed to stay with him now. Or was he not? He wrinkled his brows and looked at him. 

“What will happen now?”

“I don’t know yet. But as I promised you, I will stay by your side for a while and stay as your friend,” Ohno said with a beautiful smile Nino found. 

Nino nodded silently. He was thinking of telling him he didn’t need to, but in the end, he really would like that, and he couldn’t bring himself to lie. 

Ohno was still staring at him as Nino looked back a bit dumbfounded.

“So, what shall I do now?” Ohno asked after a while of them just staring at each other. Nino’s mind was still reeling, and Ohno looked adorable, still sitting on top of his desk. Nino groaned as he buried his face in his hands for a second, breathing in deeply as he tried to bring his mind and thoughts back to the reality for now. 

“Right…” he started but then was stopped short when Ohno’s stomach grumbled very suddenly. He looked up at him and chuckled when he saw the blush on Ohno’s face. 

“Genies don’t eat, I suppose?”

Ohno shook his head. “We don’t need it.”

“They, you are not a genie anymore, ne?”

Ohno’s eyes widened as he nodded, surprised by those words. True, he was human now. “Oh so I can eat now!” he said excitedly, and Nino chuckled as he got up to his feet. 

“Then I should probably feed you,” he decided when Ohno snapped his fingers and looked confused at his hand, before understanding dawned on his face, again remembering that as a human he couldn’t do magic.

“Please? This doesn’t feel very good. My stomach is painful,” Ohno whined, and Nino rolled his eyes as he held out his hand. Ohno blinked and then took his hand in his own as he hopped off the desk and followed Nino to the living room like a little puppy. 

“Sit down on the chair,” Nino said as he caught Ohno moving to the table again. “Seats are for sitting. Tables are for stuff and definitely not for you to sit on.”

“Okay,” Ohno said as he watched Nino browsing through his cupboards, swearing softly at himself for neglecting filling up his food. Still, there was enough for him to make a meagre sandwich, and that would for now be enough to feed that monster living on Ohno’s stomach. 

He put the sandwich in front of Ohno as he sat across from him, motioning to the food. “Eat. I have not much food at home, so I need to go grocery shopping later. You can come if you want?”

“I will go wherever Nino goes,” Ohno said, his cheeks bulging from the food and Nino grimaced. 

“Close your mouth, chew, gulp and then speak, please. I don’t actually want to see half-chewed food. And I also don’t want to see those crumbles flying on the table.”

Ohno was about to answer but then did remember Nino’s words and did as he was told. He drank a bit of water by the said and then nodded. “Okay, I can do that,” he said with a grin. “This is good.”

“WEll, it’s just bread with cheese. If you like that you’ll be ecstatic when there is actually real food.”

“Can we get real food?”

Nino blinked, but then he giggled. “WHat do you think I was about to get when I told you that I need to go grocery shopping?”

Ohno shrugged as he finished his sandwich and rubbed his stomach, looking forlornly at his empty plate. 

“Still hungry?”

“Yes,” Ohno mumbled, blushing again and Nino stood with a sigh. 

“I can make you a second one of those.”

“Yes, please and thank you,” Ohno lifted his plate for Nino to take and smiled happily when Nino came back just minutes later with a second sandwich. 

“Don’t think I’m going to make your food all the time, alright? If you are hungry, you have to prepare food for yourself. And if we share the food I’m also not going to cook each day.”

“I don’t know how to cook,” Ohno said after he finished chewing. “Never learnt, and as a genie, I could just snap my fingers.”

“Then you got to learn,” Nino decided with a small sigh. 

Ohno grinned and nodded. “Sounds exciting. I’m done we can go now! Buying more food.”

“You can’t go out like that?”

“Why?”

“Because nobody dresses like that,” he said, pointing at the very old-fashioned clothes Ohno wore. 

“I have no other things,” Ohno mumbled with a small, sad pout on his lips. 

Nino sighed and moved forward to press his fingers against his wrinkled forehead. “I will lend you some things,” he said as he stood and pulled Ohno up as well. Again Ohno followed him without complaint and Nino threw shorts and a comfortable shirt at the other. 

“Change,” he commanded and then winked at Ohno before leaving the room. “I’ll gather my stuff. So just come out when you are ready. You do know how to wear clothes, right?”

Ohno was frowning at the clothes in his hands but then nodded. “I’ll manage,” he decided, and Nino chuckled as he left. 

He sighed back in the living room, collecting some eco-friendly bags and his wallet as he thought about what he had put himself into. He never really learnt, did he?

When Ohno came into the room, he looked up, mustering him for a moment. The clothes fit Ohno surprisingly well, and with the shy but happy smile on his face, Nino couldn’t help himself as to smile back. Damn, why was that genie so cute?

“If you are good, I will treat you to real food for dinner in a restaurant,” Nino offered, chuckling when Ohno’s eyes brightened at the prospect of even more food, and Nino just couldn’t say yet if this was bad or not. But he found himself not really caring as Ohno automatically reached for his hand as Nino slipped on a pair of shoes and offered Ohno a pair of sneakers that were slightly too big for him, hoping that they fitted the other man.

Ohno was humming under his breath as he trudged alongside Nino, their hands swinging in between them as he looked around curiously. 

“Didn’t you go out?”

Ohno shook his head as he looked at Nino with a frown on his face. 

“Why not?”

“I was in the box, Nino,” Ohno said slowly. There was a frown on his face, but not one that was a sign that he was annoyed by Nino’s questions or something like that but that he was thinking about how to answer. 

“But you could get out?”

“Only if one found it, as you did. And people either freaked out or kept me until they knew their three wishes and let me out for as long as it needed for me to fulfil them. Then I got discarded again, still in the box. People didn’t take me for a walk.”

“Stupid people,” he grumbled. “And very selfish.”

“Maybe, but that was all I was there for. So it’s nice to be out.”

“Well you can go out as much as you want from now on. Just don’t expect me to be out all the time. I don’t like being outside. I’m more of a gamer.”

“What is a gamer?”

“A person that likes to play games, either online or game consoles. I do both.”

“Will you show me?”

“I suppose I can do that,” Nino allowed with a giggle. “We are at the supermarket. Please don’t try anything and don’t touch everything.”

“I will follow you,” Ohno said with a cute grin. 

“Good boy,” Nino said with a giggle, leading him inside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are interested in prompting me for Christmas stories, you can use either a prompt from the list or give me your own prompt. Important would be that you tell me the pairing and if you would like anything special in your prompt. I'm looking forward to your prompts. https://kirasebi.livejournal.com/305998.html

“I should have asked for money before freeing you,” Nino sighed as he watched Ohno devour the food. After the grocery shopping was finished, he had brought the other to the first Ramen stall, his eyes fell on. Maybe a luxurious restaurant would have been more fitting for the first real meal for the genie, but even if Nino was not poor, it was not as if he was swimming in money. 

The grocery shopping for two people had already put a bigger hole in his wallet than he was used to for the week, and it was hard for him to come to terms with it. It always was hard to pay money for such things, his mind easily going back to darker days in his life where they had to think about each yen they gave away.

So Ramen it was. It was good food, one that he personally liked and it was not as if Ohno should get used to expensive food. 

Ohno was munching on the gyoza he had ordered for them to share and started to say something when he saw Nino’s pointed look. So he closed his mouth again, chewed and finished the bite before speaking: “Why?”

“Because all things we got today cost money. And my savings are not that great.”

“Don’t you earn money?”

“Of course, I do. But rent is not the cheapest in the city, and I still have student loans left.”

Ohno pursed his lips in confusion and Nino chuckled. 

“But that doesn’t matter. It would have been smarter you have to agree, especially since you have no money or do you have hidden stack somewhere?”

Ohno shook his head with a pout. “Genies are not paid for their work.”

“Being a genie really sucks.”

Ohno nodded with a miserable look on his face as he looked at the rest of his food. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Now finish your food, okay? And don’t look so sad. It was my decision to free you and to keep you in my home for a while.”

“You are a good person,” Ohno mumbled and then continued to slurp his noodles.

Nino blushed slightly at the praise and stared at his bowl before starting to eat without replying. He didn’t think so. He was pretty selfish at least he thought so himself and people would usually agree with him on that note. 

—

Back at home, Ohno watched Nino as he put their groceries in the right places. He had tried to help, but since he had no idea where anything went, he was more of a hindrance than a help, so Nino had prepared a cup of tea for the genie and told him to stay put at the table. 

Ohno had pouted but in the end done as he was told, even now whenever Nino’s eyes fell on the other the pout was still etched on his lips, even if his eyes followed his movements curiously. 

“All done,” Nino said, at last, folding up the last bag they had brought with them and put it away in the cabinet under the sink. He looked at Ohno feeling slightly lost. He had no idea what he was supposed to do now. Usually, he would sit in the living room and play games, but he felt as if that would be boring for Ohno. 

Nino had been often told that he was rather dull to be with. But he couldn’t change the things he liked to do, and he didn’t want to either. 

“What do you do now?” Ohno asked curiously. 

Nino shrugged uncomfortably and motioned to the living room. “I would play games normally.”

Ohno looked at him for a while in silence, but then a brilliant smile appeared on his face, making Nino weak in his knees and he held to the cupboards behind him for a second as to not lose his footing. 

“Then show me?” he asked with some childish glee. 

Nino nodded and held out his hand when he came to a stand beside Ohno. Ohno looked at it curiously for a second, before taking it and Nino led him to the living room. 

“Sit down,” he offered, pointing at the sofa as he busied himself with untangling the second game controller. He put the machine on the small table right in front of the couch with the few multiplayer games he had and chose the first one he thought would be relatively easy for a newbie and settled down beside Ohno.

Ohno stared at the controller in his hand in utter confusion. His lips were pursed again in a bigger pout, and Nino couldn’t help the chuckle escaping his lips at the adorable sight. 

God, he could hardly remember when the last time he had to feel so giddy for such a prolonged time. 

But it was hard to feel anything else with Ohno so close. His fingers moved swiftly on his controller as he started the menu and chose the most accessible setting before looking at Ohno. Ohno’s eyes were on his fingers with concentration but also surprised at the swiftness Nino pressed the buttons. He was especially surprised as he saw that Nino was not looking at the controller in his hands. He was sure that it would be impossible for him to push the right buttons at that pace without looking.

“Let me show you,” Nino mumbled and then started to explain to Ohno which buttons he would have to press for that game and what would each of them do. When he was sure, Ohno understood it all he grinned and finally started the Super Mario game he had chosen. Mario had been the first game he had played, and that led to the deep love he felt for video games so he hoped that it would spark the same emotion in Ohno. 

—

“You can do it!” Nino cheered, clapping his hands as he watched the screen and Ohno at the same time. Ohno’s tongue was peeking out from in between his lips as he moved his whole body together with the movements the little figure of Mario made on the TV. 

They had played two or three rounds together before Nino decided that it was futile. Ohno was too much of a newbie for the game, and they made almost no progress. So he had changed the profile for single players and given Ohno his controller so that he could go in his own pace. 

“Jump, again!” Nino giggled as Ohno’s face scrunched up when he accidentally pressed the wrong button and instead of jumping Mario was squatting right into the pit. He hid his face inside his elbow and grinned at Ohno who pouted. 

“Let me do it again! I can do it this time.”

“Sure,” Nino allowed with a smile as Ohno pressed the right buttons to restart the game. He had gotten more comfortable with the controller in his hands, and even if they were meant to switch between each failed attempt or each won level, Nino didn’t mind to sit out his turn. 

It was more fun than he had thought possible to watch someone else game with as much glee as Ohno was emitting. He would pout and grumble if he lost, but at least he didn’t say that gaming was stupid or childish and for that Nino was strangely thankful. He knew that it wouldn’t matter to him in the end what Ohno thought of his hobbies. They would only live together for as long as it took Ohno to find a job and then an apartment, but he somehow was very delighted to share his joy with someone. 

He looked at Ohno for a second longer as he was immersed in the game when Ohno shouted in joy. 

“I can do it! Look, Nino!”

Nino’s eyes went to the TV at least he tried to follow the little figure, but the sight of Ohno brimming in excitement was too distracting if he was honest. 

Still, he did his best to encourage the other man as he cheered and clapped his hands as Ohno indeed only had to climb the last mountain to jump at the flagpole and finish the level. It was a first for Ohno. 

Nino laughed as Ohno came down just short of the flagpole and only got the least points possible, but it didn’t matter for Ohno who cheered loudly as he turned to Nino. 

“I did it,” he grinned.

“Indeed. You did great,” Nino praised. He couldn’t not. Ohno was staring at him with such proud eyes that it was hard enough for Nino not to pat his head as he would do with a little boy. 

It was made impossible though when Ohno threw himself into Nino’s arms and hugged him. “This is so fun!”

Nino giggled and ruffled his hair with just his fingertips. “I’m happy you like it,” he said honestly, trying very hard to speak with how fast his heart was hammering away suddenly. 

He grimaced thinking that maybe he had miscalculated when he had asked that cute little genie to stay with him and become his friend.


	4. Chapter 4

Ohno was watching Nino as Nino pulled out ingredients for their dinner with interest. It was very strange for him to be scrutinised so much, but Ohno’s eyes were not judging, so it was bearable for him. 

“Do you know how to read?” Nino asked, and Ohno pouted but nodded. 

“Yes, I learnt before turning to a genie, and it’s one of the things that don’t change over the years that much.”

“Good, then come here. I will show you how to use the oven and the knives and where o find everything. If you are bored, you can cook later on. I think you should also do something while you are here, right? I’m not your servant.”

“I can do that,” Ohno said with a grin.

Nino nodded and prayed silently that he wouldn’t have to rush Ohno to the hospital. Which reminded him…

“Do you have any official documents that you are alive?”

Ohno nodded as he looked at Nino’s hands excitedly as Nino pulled out two knives, handing one to Ohno, before stopping. “Yes, I got them when I was turned a human. There are a few things that appeared in the box you liked.”

“Good, wash your hands, you didn’t yet.”

“I did this morning and after using the bathroom, earlier.”

“Yeah and in between, we were on the sofa, and you touched all kinds of surfaces. Before handling food, we wash our hands to make sure they are clean,” Nino explained patiently.

Ohno frowned but then shrugged as he went over to the sink to wash his hands carefully and dried them again.

“Very good. We’ll make curry tonight. So you can peel the potatoes and then cut them into chunks.”

“Okay, I know how to do that!” Ohno declared but then stared at the peeler Nino handed him and the potato in his other hand with a frown. 

Nino observed him, hiding a grin behind his hand at the confused look. 

“Let me show you,” Nino said and took both in his hands. “I am left-handed so that you know. Your dominant hand seems to be the right one so you should do it the other way around, okay?”

“Got it,” Ohno agreed, wriggling his fingers, as he stared down at them. 

Nino cleared his throat, and soon enough, Ohno’s eyes were on Nino’s hands and watched as he peeled the potato swiftly. He handed it over, and Ohno carefully mimicked him. He was slower than Nino was, but at least he didn’t cut himself, Nino thought with a sigh as he prepared the carrots. 

“Oh-chan? Do you prefer chicken or beef?” he asked and Ohno blinked as he looked up from where he was cutting the potatoes in chunks. Nino giggled as he looked cute with his tongue poking out between his lips as he concentrated on making his cuts perfectly, even if Nino told him that there was no need to do that. 

“Chicken,” he decided then, and Nino hummed in agreement.”

“Got it,” he said, motioning to the potato as he pulled out the chicken from the fridge and prepared it. “Finish your task. Then I show you how to handle the oven.”

Ohno was surprised at how easy it was to cook with the help of the oven instead of an open fire and even if he almost broke the electric rice cooker, in the end, they had a full meal with the chicken curry, slightly soggy rice (sadly Ohno miscalculated the water to rice ratio) and some steamed vegetables. Ohno was brimming with happiness when Nino served him his meal and sat down across from him. 

“I hope it tastes well,” Nino said with a chuckle. He was sure it would. After all, he made sure to taste it, and Ohno seemed to like everything he gave him. After all, he had been absolutely in heaven after simple sandwiches.

Ohno put the first spoonful of his meal into his mouth seconds after, grinning as the taste hit him. 

“It’s delicious,” he cheered. “It’s my favourite until now,” he decided then, and Nino felt heat blossom on his cheeks at the praise. 

—

“Welcome back, Nino,” Ohno said when Nino opened the door and Nino couldn’t help the fond smile that appeared on his face. 

Ohno sounded so genuinely happy whenever he greeted him in the afternoon after a long hard day at work. It was something he looked forward to each day, and that made it easier to decline any invitations for drinks or to stay longer at work. He knew that those things would make it impossible for him to rise in ranks, but Nino didn’t want to have more duties, so that was fine with him. 

“I’m back. What did you do today, Oh-chan?”

“I played a bit and cooked. I made creamy mushroom and bacon pasta. The recipe sounded nice, and you had everything in the fridge for it.”

“Sounds good,” Nino said with a smile. “Did you go out?”

Ohno shook his head as he pursed his lips. Nino sighed softly. Ohno seldom went out alone, and Nino didn’t get why. Ohno liked being outside when they went together for grocery shopping or the once in a blue moon walk when Nino felt like he needed fresh air. So it was puzzling that Ohno didn’t leave alone.

“Didn’t feel like it?”

“I wanted to stay. Nino asked me to stay by his side, right?”

“Right…” Nino said, feeling a small stab at the thought that Ohno stayed because he was forced. He hated his wish. He wanted Ohno to stay because he wanted to, not because Nino’s wish forced him. “We can go grocery shopping tonight or how about tomorrow? It’s the weekend.”

Ohno’s face lightened up, and Nino had to hold back as not to ruffle his hair fondly. Ohno was cute like that. 

“Tomorrow? We can take a walk then as well, right?”

“If you want,” Nino agreed. “But then you should decide what you want to eat.”

“I want to make Nino’s favourite dish,” Ohno decided with a grin. “What do you like the most?”

“Hamburger steak,” Nino said with a grin. “I’m looking forward to you making it for me.”

Ohno grinned proudly at the thought of making Nino happy, and they settled for the night soon after a delicious dinner cooked by Ohno and a movie together. 

—

“You do know that you don’t need to cook for me every day, right?”

“I like cooking,” Ohno replied and watched Nino as he was gaming on his phone at the kitchen table. Ohno told him that he was fine and that he could play in the living room after they had come home, but Nino insisted on staying close.

“Still… I feel as if I made you my servant or prisoner or something.”

“I’m not a captive,” Ohno said with a wrinkled nose. “Not anymore. I’m free now,” he said, his voice still tinged in happiness and slight wonder about that fact as if it was hard to believe. 

“If you say so,” Nino mumbled with a sigh and observed him with a small frown. 

“Besides, you do everything else.”

“Not true,” Nino huffed. Ohno also did laundry or cleaned the apartment if he was bored and it was something that Nino had a hard time getting used to. 

“You pay for me being here.”

Nino wanted to argue but knew that he couldn’t it was true. Ohno still didn’t earn money, and Nino had no idea how he could help him with that.

“But I asked you to be here. So it’s okay,” he said in the end, and Ohno hummed in agreement.

“I like staying here,” he said, and Nino closed his eyes as he wished fervently it was true.

—

“I’m home,” Nino yelled as he took off his shoes. He entered the living room, grinning down at Ohno who blinked up sleepily at him.

“You’re early,” Ohno mumbled, his eyes wandering to the clock at the wall to make sure it was the truth.

“I know. I went home earlier,” Nino shrugged. Ohno opened his mouth to ask why and what that meant but Nino waved the questions off. It didn’t matter right now, and it was not important.

“I got you something.”

“For me?” Ohno asked surprised his mouth falling open in utter surprise as he sat up. He wrinkled his forehead as he stared at the other. It was seldom that Nino was like that and it surprised him a lot so that he didn’t know what to say right now.

“Yup for you,” Nino chuckled as he sat down beside Ohno and handed over a wrapped present.

“Why?”

“You are staying with me a month now,” Nino said softly. “I thought such a special occasion deserves a present.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

Nino shrugged. Ohno was his present, after all. It was good to come home to someone and not the cold empty apartment. And he was glad that Ohno managed to break through his thoughts more often than not. 

“Open it. I want to know if you like it,” Nino said with a chuckle when Ohno had stared at the present for a while without doing anything. 

“Huh?” Ohno said in confusion. “Isn’t this it?”

“It is. But it’s wrapped in paper. You have to open it and look inside to see what your present is.”

“Oh… I thought… The paper is very pretty.”

“Mhm… You can keep it then as well,” Nino chuckled. 

Ohno smiled happily as he looked at the wrapping paper again. It had fishes on it with silly party heads, and somehow Ohno found it adorable.

Nino hid his face behind his hands as he watched Ohno nervously as he carefully pried the tape off to unfold the paper until it was finally open. 

Ohno’s eyes widened as he realised that he had a sketchbook in his hands, coupled with different kinds of pens to use on it. 

“Do you like it?”

Ohno nodded with a smile and put it to the side before he hugged him. “Thank you!”

Nino hid his face against his shoulder for a moment before carefully moving backwards. “I saw your scribbles. I thought you would like it. The person at the art store told me that those are perfect for a beginner to find out which techniques he likes and what kind of utensils. I have no idea about art.”

“I like them,” Ohno said and grinned as he stared at him. “I want to give something to you.”

“Mhm… Then I want your first real picture, alright?”

Ohno giggled and nodded as he stared down at the materials in his hands. Nino couldn’t help laughing himself. Ohno’s joy was contagious.


	5. Chapter 5

Ohno stared at the computer in front of him, and his eyes wandered over to Nino as the other observed him silently. He pouted when he realised that Nino wouldn’t explain it to him again without prompting and even then he was not sure that Nino would explain it to him. 

He grumbled silently to himself and couldn’t help the heat appearing in his cheeks as Nino giggled at his antics. He pursed his lips as he stared at the screen in front of him that was still dark. His eyes wandered to the small lights that usually were on when the computer was on. 

His eyes wandered to the keyboard was silent, and he moved the mouse tentatively, pouting when nothing happened, and he could see Nino from the side of his eyes as he hid his face in his elbow. It was a charming sight, he thought as he tried to remember what to do. 

“Ah!” he announced suddenly, plopping down from the chair to be able to kneel on the floor. He stared at the tower thing that should hum and make strange sounds, and that was silent! So this was the reason. He checked if the power sockets were on and everything was plugged in, humming when he realised that they were. He remembered that there was a big button he had to press, and as he did, he flinched when beeping sounds and the sound of the fan could be heard. He stood as fast as he could, grinning at the lights that turned on on the screen and turned around to Nino. 

“I did it!” he yelled.

“Very good,” Nino said, laughter still evident in his voice, but Ohno was too delighted to care much. He sat down on the chair again, giggling as it sprang back with his weight and he turned around on the chair. It was the favourite thing for him to roll around on the chair and go round and round until he felt dizzy. 

He stared at the screen as two pictures appeared and then clicked on the photo of himself. He cheered when there was no password he had to type in (he never seemed to remember the right one, so Nino had decided to create a user without one). 

His eyes checked the icons on the screen that appeared now, and he nibbled on his lips as he hesitantly clicked on the one he thought was for the Internet, and nothing happened.

“Why?” he whined.

“You need to double click.”

“What?”

“Two fast clicks,” Nino said with a chuckle. “You can do it.”

Ohno frowned but did as he was told, grinning when the browser load and he was able to put in whatever he was looking for.

“I can do it!” he repeated elated again, and Nino nodded in agreement. 

“Good boy,” he teased, ruffling his hair, smiling when Ohno fell silent in surprise while looking very happy. 

“So you can look for videos about the art stuff I brought. I have no idea how you use what and I think this is the easiest thing. You can draw whatever but yeah…” he trailed off. “Or you can watch videos you are interested in while I’m away. Might be more interesting than the morning channel on the TV.”

“Yup, thank you,” Ohno grinned.

“Or you could go out.”

“I like walking with Nino,” Ohno said with a wrinkled nose, and Nino smiled as he caught it between his fingers. 

“I see. Then we should that walk now, what do you think? Or do you want to start looking?”

“I can do that when you are away. Now I should spend time with you,” Ohno said, and Nino nodded only half smiling now since he felt terrible for making Ohno do this. 

He wondered if Ohno silently thought himself a prisoner now even if he never mentioned something like that. Nino cursed inwardly at those thoughts and forced another smile on his face. Emotions were complicated, and he really wished to not suffer from them now and then.

—

Nino was sitting in the middle of a meeting when his phone rang, and he jumped as he pulled his phone out. He usually had it on silent mode, and the only people not included would be his family and Ohno for now as they would only call him during emergencies. 

He frowned as he read Ohno’s name. Ohno had never called him so far. In fact, Ohno never used his phone if possible since he was very wary about it. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he stood. “But this is an emergency it seems. May I excuse myself?”

“Of course, Ninomiya-san. I’m sure your colleagues can tell you what you missed.”

Nino nodded, relieved for once that his part of the presentation was over already so that there was nothing for him to do anyway. And most other presentations hadn’t to do much with his kind of work. He grabbed his folder as he left the room, walking outside to the smoking spot that was normally empty during this time. He took a deep breath and answered the still ringing phone.

“NINO?!” Ohno yelled, and Nino flinched as he put the phone away from his ear. 

“Oh-chan is everything okay? And please don’t yell. You can talk normally,” he mumbled, hoping that Ohno would talk in an average volume. They should have practised that as well probably. 

“Everything is alright. I drew a picture for you.”

“Nice,” Nino said with a smile and shook his head. He had already a few pictures in a folder at home, made up by Ohno as he tried out the different techniques he found on the Internet. It felt a little bit like watching a child grow, only this one was really talented in art and got better and better each time. “Is that why you called?” he asked Ohno then though. Ohno never called after all, and he didn’t think that this would provoke a call from the other man. 

“Oh no… There was a man at the door, demanding to be let in, banging on the door.”

Nino paled a little and cleared his throat. “What? Why? And what did you do?”

“I didn’t let them in. You didn’t tell me I was supposed to do so. He sounded scary.”

“Good, don’t. I don’t even know… No, I will come home earlier tonight and check what’s going on. Are you okay?”

“Uhn… Hey, can we go out tonight?”

“Of course. Call the police if someone is coming again, alright? You just need to call the number 110 and tell them what is going on and the address. They’ll come then.”

“Okay,” Ohno mumbled. 

“Good, take care, ne Oh-chan?”

“Yup, see you soon.”

Nino sighed as he ended the call and tugged at his fringe. This was a nightmare.

— 

“Everything okay with your family?”

“Huh?” Nino asked as he looked at Jun, who was staring at him. “What?”

“The call. It was your family, right? You look worried.”

“Ah,” Nino said, before shaking his head. “It was not my family…” he mumbled trailing off before wincing when Jun stared at him wide-eyed. 

“Don’t tell me you are hooking up with someone and don’t tell us?! But it explains that you never stay longer anymore.”

“I’m not hooking up with people,” Nino scoffed. “I’m not like that.”

“True you prefer long-lasting relationships that fuck you up.”

Nino glared at him. “Do not.”

“Just bad taste in men,” Aiba brought himself into the conversation, and Nino almost jumped in surprise. He really hasn’t thought the other man was around. 

He grimaced as he thought of his latest ex and his eyes darkened slightly. 

“You did NOT get back together with him, right? Please, Nino, tell me you have a brain in there,” Jun groaned and tipped against his head. 

“Of course not! But he probably appeared at my home today and caused a scene. Now I need to call him.”

“So there is someone in your home. You need to introduce us! I want to check if he’s okay. I won’t trust your taste.”

“I’m not that bad,” Nino mumbled, and Jun huffed as he glared at him.

“Yeah, sure.”

Nino shrugged. “And that’s not the problem, okay? I just moved. Damn if he knows where I live how?!”

“He’s right,” Aiba mumbled. 

“I need to call him and tell him to leave me alone. He knows he’s not supposed to come near me.”

“You will not do that,” Jun said with a shake of his head. 

“You will call Sho-chan and tell him. He will make sure he gets fined.”

Nino nibbled on his lower lip and nodded in the end. “Then I will do that,” he decided.

“And we will come with you to meet your new boyfriend.”

“Not tonight. And he is not my boyfriend,” Nino said with a blush on his cheeks, trying to come up with an excuse as to who Ohno was and why he lived with him but coming up blank. 

“This weekend then,” Jun said, glaring at him. 

Nino wanted to argue, but he knew that it would be fruitless, so he nodded. “Okay.”

Nino somehow managed to put the rest of his workday behind himself and dragged his feet as he walked home. He knew he needed to think about how to explain to Ohno who the guy was, and he was so not ready for that.


	6. Chapter 6

“Nino, welcome back,” Ohno greeted when Nino opened the door. He sounded a bit suspicious, but the smile on his face when he saw that it was indeed Nino entering, was real. 

“I’m home,” Nino said with a smile and put his bag down. “Did you cook dinner?”

Ohno shook his head and nibbled on his lips. “I thought we could go out for dinner?”

“Sounds like a plan. Then get ready, will you?”

Ohno smiled happily and vanished into the apartment once again to change in more appropriate clothes for the chilly weather outside. Nino leant against the wall as he waited for him, his mind going back to the call earlier that day and the threat of his friends about the weekend. He would have to talk to Ohno about both things, he thought with a small sigh. He was not looking forward to either if he was sincere. 

When Ohno came back, Nino offered him a hand and smiled. “Then let’s go. And when we are back, I want to see the picture you’ve drawn for me,” he added, and Ohno agreed.

They walked out of the apartment block, and Nino hummed softly in thought about where to go. “How about we first have dinner at the noodle stall down the street? And then we can take that walk through the park. How does that sound?”

“Good,” Ohno agreed, and Nino led them first to get food. He settled down across from Ohno as they both had made their orders and explained to him what the condiments were for when Ohno looked a bit lost at the bottles on the table. 

Ohno hummed in understanding, and even if he struggled to pull the chopsticks apart in the end, he succeeded and grinned proudly at Nino. 

“Good work,” Nino teased him and then thanked for their meal when it was brought. Ohno thanked the waiter as well, and shortly after they were both slurping the noodles in silence. 

“Do you want a beer? Or walk right away?”

“Walk right away,” Ohno decided with a frown.

“Well then,” Nino agreed and walked to the front to pay. Ohno followed him close, and when they walked on the street, he took Nino’s hand in his own. 

Nino smiled when he squeezed Ohno’s fingers and sighed softly at the thought of how good it felt. He again was so confused about his real feelings towards Ohno. He has very attached to the other already, and that scared him because he had no idea how Ohno really felt about him. 

“Nino?”

“Mhm?”

“Who was that guy?”

Nino sighed and tugged him slightly closer. “I’m sorry. He must have scared you,” Nino whispered and stared at the floor. 

“Not as much as you. You sounded fearful over the phone and are nervous now. Who was it?”

“My ex-boyfriend,” Nino said in the end and sighed softly. “Let’s say he was not the best kind. At first, maybe he seemed like the best person I ever met, but that turned quickly. And I don’t know what to tell you without you either thinking I’m stupid or blind. And both probably are true.”

“Nino is not stupid,” Ohno disagreed heatedly. 

Nino looked up in surprise and smiled amusedly as he saw real anger in Ohno’s eyes. “Well, in that case, I was. I believed what he told me, not realising that he slowly but surely stripped away my self-confidence and tried to cut my friends off. Luckily they were smarter than me, and didn’t give up even if I told them they were wrong.”

“What happened?”

“He hurt me.”

Ohno stared at him, and Nino stopped walking as he cupped his cheek because the other looked so shocked and angry on his behalf. He couldn’t help himself. 

“Sadly, I didn’t leave after the first time. I only left when I ended up in the hospital. And then only because my friends brought me with them and forbade me to go back. It took a few days until I realised that they were right and I was in the wrong.”

“They sound like good friends.”

“They are a bit protective,” Nino said with a chuckle. “But I suppose it’s normal after that incident. They want to meet you.”

Ohno blinked but then looked delighted to meet new people. “I want to meet them. They are good friends, and without them, I might not have met you and wouldn’t be free now.”

Nino’s lips twitched in amusement as he nodded. “That’s true. They demanded to visit on Saturday. And I should warn you: They can be scary at first, but don’t take it to heart. They probably also won’t believe us about you being a genie.”

“Ah,” Ohno said and nodded. “Will you lie to them?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Nino said with a sigh. There was no way there was any lie he could come up with that made sense. And maybe they would believe him because it was just too stupid to come up with such an elaborate lie.

“But we shouldn’t think about it for today.”

“Okay,” Ohno nodded and grinned. He stepped a bit closer and bumped his shoulders with Nino. “I will tell them I’ll protect you from that ex-boyfriend of yours. Nobody is allowed to hurt you.”

Nino giggled and shoved him back slightly. “I would like to see you try. He is tough, you know.”

“I can be tough,” Ohno said with determination and Nino couldn’t tell how fond he was of Ohno at that moment. 

“Okay, then I trust you. But a friend of mine, Sho, already told me that he would file a complaint. He is not allowed close to me. They made sure I went to the police after he continued to threaten me and stalk me. I hoped he had stopped.”

“Still…” Ohno said and trailed off when Nino decided they had talked enough about that topic and dragged him further down the path they were walking. 

Ohno watched him for a moment but realised that Nino felt uncomfortable about the topic and followed him quietly for now. He enjoyed the fresh air around him and being outside. 

He stopped when they came across a painter and tugged at Nino’s hand to make him stop. 

“What is he doing?” Ohno asked in a whisper, but it was hard for him to hide his excitement and wonder. 

Nino blinked and chuckled. “Painting,” he said and shrugged. “There are some street artists. Some do caricatures of other people, and some draw scenic pictures or whatever.”

“I can do that as well?”

“Sure if you want. You know that you are not a prisoner. If you want to go out and draw, you can. There might people watching you, and if you catch the eye of the right people, they might even buy a picture or two for a few yen.”

“You think people might want to buy my pictures?”

“I don’t know. But people pay for red lines over the white canvas so nothing would surprise me. But don’t expect too much, okay? Not that you are disappointed. It’s not usual for people to spend money on street artists and probably not enough to make a living. Which reminds me… We should probably start to think about what you want to work as?”

“What I want to do?”

“Mhm… Earning a living. I’m sure you want to be fully free soon, ne? I asked you to stay with me. I know it won’t be forever, so you should take the time you can still stand to stay in my home. Safe up to get your flat,” Nino said slowly. He didn’t want to offer or remind Ohno that there were possibilities for him to leave Nino. B

Still, not telling him and helping him, felt wrong. He would be scared to be seen as someone to force another man to stay with him against his will. 

“What if I don’t want to leave?” Ohno said after a while, and Nino stared at him in confusion. 

“You don’t have to be scared to be on your own. You’ll do great,” Nino said with a smile. “After all, I’m here to help you find your way in this foreign world.”

Ohno smiled a bit shakily and confused but nodded. That was not what he meant though, but it was easy to see that Nino was uncomfortable to talk about all these things and Ohno didn’t know how to push it or explain satisfactorily what he meant. He sighed when Nino tugged at his wrist. “You want to look at the paintings a bit closer?”

“No, I want to go home.”

“I can buy you a picture you like as a gift.”

Ohno thought about it for a second but then shook his head. Somehow it suddenly felt wrong to accept a gift just like that when he had made Nino sad so often already today. “Let’s just go home. I want to show you the one I drew earlier.”

“Okay,” Nino agreed after observing him for a moment longer. Ohno grinned, and they left the man and park behind to go finally home. 

Ohno followed him silently. There were a lot of things he needed to think about over the next few days it seemed.


	7. Chapter 7

“Are you nervous, Nino?” Ohno asked as he came closer to the other who was trying to concentrate on a video game he was playing. 

Nino shrugged slightly and put his head back. He rolled his shoulders and grimaced as he felt the tension there. 

“A little bit. I am not sure that the others won’t try to put me in an institution if I tell them you are a genie from a bottle,” he mumbled. “Especially now that you can’t do any magic to prove it.”

“Then we don’t tell them?”

“And how am I supposed to tell them who you are?”

“I’m Ohno Satoshi,” Ohno said with a wrinkled nose, and Nino giggled as he patted the sofa beside him to invite Ohno to join him. 

“I know that. But it’s not normal to have no past, no job, no money and find the most normal-seeming things strange. We might talk about things you have no idea what they are. If you ask them, they will think you are strange. I don’t want that. It would be unfair to you.”

Nino sighed and ruffled his hair when Ohno said down beside him. Not to mention that Jun and Sho might think that he had fallen into the trap of the next strange person and would mistrust Ohno even more than they already did.

“I’m sorry that I cause you such problems,” Ohno said with an unhappy frown on his face.

“You do not. I have very meddling friends. I love dearly, but they are sometimes a bit much.”

“I hope they’ll like me,” Ohno whispered. “They are important to you, right?”

“They are,” Nino agreed and smiled. “More than my family even. I spent more time with them than my family. They accepted me more easily.”

“Mhm…” Ohno hummed and closed his eyes. He hoped they would like him, he thought a bit depressed now. 

“Oh well,” Nino decided and grinned. “Time to go shopping for our dinner with everybody and then you can help me prepare the dishes. It will distract you from your worry.”

“Who says I’m nervous?”

“Your face,” Nino grinned and poked his cheek. 

Ohno looked at him sheepishly and then allowed Nino to lead him to the supermarket. 

Nino let Ohno chose what vegetables and meat he would like since he honestly didn’t care about what kind of food Jun ate in the moment or whatnot. The only thing he cared about was to check that nothing was terrible and that it was nothing he knew one of them had an allergy for. 

Ohno carried their bags on their way home, and Nino was pressed slightly against the other. He was still nervous about his ex that Ohno had encountered that one time. Yes, there had nothing else happened until now, but Nino feared that it was not over just yet. Maybe he was stupid, but he couldn’t help it. 

—

Ohno looked curiously at the grilling plate that Nino put on the table and made sure to have plugged in.

“You like grilled meat,” Nino said, and Ohno nodded. He liked at least the one restaurant Nino had taken him to. They hadn’t eaten much there, but it had been excellent. 

“It was good,” Ohno said. 

“So I thought we could do that. I prepared the different kinds of meat and a few vegetables we could grill, and on the side, I made a hot pot when I can’t eat the meat anymore.”

Ohno nodded in understanding even if he looked anything but and Nino chuckled as he rubbed his cheek. “Are you ready to meet my friends?”

“Yes!” Ohno cheered but flinched when the doorbell rang. Somehow he expected loud banging afterwards, but there was nothing, and he realised that it must be Nino’s friends. 

Nino smiled softly at the look on Ohno’s face and sighed as he pulled back to open the door. 

“Be nice,” he scolded his friends directly, without even greeting them or inviting them in. 

“We won’t eat him,” Jun said with an eye roll. “We want to meet him. See who he is and all that. Normal friends stuff.”

“Sure,” Nino snorted and opened the door wider to let them in. “Still, he is nervous.”

“Is he now?” Jun asked with a glint in his eyes and chuckled. “Good then.”

“Idiot,” Nino grumbled and was about to shove him out again when Sho came in between them. 

“Now, now, children behave.”

“Yes, mama,” Jun and Nino said together, and Nino snorted slightly while Jun’s lips twitched in amusement. 

Aiba grinned as he managed to slip past Nino to go directly to the kitchen. 

“Hello, I’m Aiba Masaki. Nino’s oldest friend!”

“Ohno Satoshi,” Ohno said and bopped his head, playing with the hem of his shirt.

“Cute,” Aiba decided and giggled. “You are even wearing his shirt.”

Ohno looked down at the shirt he had chosen and blushed even harder. It was true, Nino had gotten him a few things when he moved in, but they were all thrown together in one cupboard, and neither of them cared about what they wore. But maybe it was not the best first impression, Ohno thought sullenly. 

He looked up when Nino entered the kitchen and moved closer to the other, who grinned at him. 

“You met Aiba-chan already?”

“Uhn,” Ohno said, and Nino couldn’t help but take his hand in his own. Ohno was adorable like that. 

“This is Ohno Satoshi. Oh-chan meet: Matsumoto Jun, don’t be scared it’s all down to his eyebrows, he is a softy. That is Sakurai Sho. He is a nerd.”

Ohno frowned and bopped his head. “Nice to meet you,” he mumbled even if it sounded more like a question and then he turned to Nino after observing Sho for a while longer. 

“What is a nerd?” he asked flustered in a whisper, and Nino chuckled. 

“Sorry, just something to say to people who are obsessed with learning,” Nino answered back in a murmur and Ohno wrinkled his nose before he nodded. 

“What is going on with you?”

“Nothing,” Nino said louder and turned to the table. “Sit. We can talk over the food.”

Nino watched Ohno fidget beside him because of the eyes of the others on them. He smiled and took his hand in his own. He squeezed it softly and then sighed as he watched his friends. 

“Stop staring.”

“Well, we are curious about Ohno-san,” Sho said with a small shrug. 

“It’s to be expected,” Jun agreed, and Aiba nodded at their side. 

“Ohno-san what do you do?”

“Eh…” Ohno mumbled, moving nervously and flinching when Jun’s sharp eyes landed on them. 

“You are not telling me that you make Nino pay for your stuff and leech of his money! Nino! You said he was better.”

“He is. Chill, J. What the hell?! If you want to throw a tantrum, you can go out.”

“Calm down,” Sho said when Jun tensed and put his hand on his arm, before meeting Nino’s defiant eyes and the nervous form of Ohno. 

“And you are shifty. So you can’t fully blame us for being like that.”

Nino blew out the air through his nose and glared at him. 

“Right at the moment Oh-chan does not work,” he said and glared when Aiba gasped in surprise. “But!” he said louder before Jun could explode, or Sho could argue. “But he does stuff around the house. He cleaned everything up, just for your information, and we prepared the food together. Also, I told him that he could take his time to find something he likes.”

“So he did work when you met?”

“In a way,” Nino mumbled, looking at Ohno. “Oh-chan is not a normal human. Or now he is, but he wasn’t before.”

“You sound crazy, just so that you know it,” Jun mumbled with a scoff. 

Nino rolled his eyes. “That’s why I didn’t want to tell you, but at the same time, I’m pretty sure that you won’t trust me if I don’t tell the truth…”

“Nino… We are just worried,” Sho said. 

“Yeah even if you try to hide it since you told us that your ex was at your door you look over your shoulder as if expecting him there,” Aiba added.

“You can’t fault me there,” Nino grumbled and just relaxed when he felt Ohno taking his hand. 

“I will protect Nino!” he declared, and Nino chuckled. 

“Sure you will,” he said, not believing him since Ohno was scrawny. Just like him. There was no way he would be able to withstand that man. 

“Could we please get back to Ohno-san?” Jun said with a sigh and rubbed his forehead.

“Sure. Oh-chan was a genie, when I met him,” Nino announced, deciding to say it as it was. The reaction it got was worth it in Nino’s books as all three stopped eating and stared at them with wide eyes. He tried hard not to start to laugh because then the others wouldn’t believe he was telling the truth.

“What?” Jun asked in a slightly hoarse voice, and Sho coughed to get back his bearings. 

“What were your wishes? Money, right?” Aiba asked in excitement, and Nino snorted.

Ohno blushed and grinned at Aiba when he shook his head. “He wished me to be free. And he succeeded!”

Aiba clapped his hands and then patted Nino’s shoulder who groaned. “Oh, that’s great, right guys?”

“Do you believe him?” Jun asked, shocked and Aiba shrugged. 

“It’s a strange thing to make up to convince us that Ohno-san is a good guy,” he said matter-of-factly. 

Sho and Jun stared at him for a second before Sho sighed and nodded. “Right,” he mumbled. It was tough to argue that logic. 

“But genies? They are fairytale stuff.”

“I wish,” Ohno mumbled. “I lived centuries in a small box that Nino found and took home. He’s a good guy and allowed me to stay here to find my way in this world. I am a bit overwhelmed because it’s all so foreign.”

“I can imagine that,” Aiba said and patted his head.

Nino grumbled and pushed Aiba’s hand away. “He is not a puppy,” he scolded him. 

“Aww cute, Nino is jealous!”

“We are also not boyfriends,” Nino said carefully. “So I didn’t keep anyway from you.”

“You kept a person away from us,” Sho snorted. “That’s not nothing.”

“True, sorry, but it was complicated.”

Jun watched them for a while before staring at Ohno, who was again a bit nervous. “Are you serious about Nino?”

“I like Nino, a lot,” Ohno agreed. “And I don’t want him to be hurt. So I will protect him,” he declared again. 

Nino groaned and hid his face in shame. He was pretty sure that Ohno had no idea what Jun was implying.

“Leave him alone, J.”

“No, I want to know if he is going to help you out.”

“He already does. And he never asks for anything. So he is not living off of my money in that way. Stop making it like that. You know I won’t spend money unnecessarily.”

Jun snorted slightly, and Nino couldn’t fault him for that. But he was pretty thankful that neither of them argued anymore. He knew he had been stupid to allow his ex free reign to his account, but he wouldn’t make the same mistake again and beside Ohno never asked for anything. 

—

Ohno watched Nino as they were alone again. He had been asked a few more things, but overall he thought that the meeting had gone well. At least when they moved to the living room, listening to music and drinking beers while Ohno listened to their stories and Ohno offered the strangest wishes people had asked him for.

Nino had fallen asleep later that night, and Ohno had put a blanket over him instead of waking him again. 

Nino had been nervous all day after all. And it seemed like Nino slept better if surrounded by people he trusted and liked. He sighed as he closed the door behind Jun after promising him again that he had meant it when he said he would protect Nino. 

Yes, maybe he had agreed to stay because it was easier to have somewhere to stay while he found his way and because Nino had made it a demand, but over the last few weeks, he had learnt to enjoy being with Nino. 

Nino was a gentle soul, and he wanted only the best for him and be close to him. Ohno hoped Nino would allow him that. The worry that his friends showed tonight just cemented Ohno’s view of Nino as a very good person, even if he liked to hide it. 

Ohno picked Nino up to bring him to his bedroom and put him to bed. He caressed his cheek and made sure he was warm, before cleaning in the living room and falling to sleep on the sofa. Now that he knew that Nino was still nervous about that ex, he would make it a point to accompany him each day to work and pick him up. He could spend most of the day out in the park painting, he thought with a happy grin. He really would love to try it. And maybe he could earn a bit of money as Nino had implied. It would be great to manage that and maybe get a present for the other man as a thank you.


	8. Chapter 8

Nino woke up on Monday morning to an already ready Satoshi, waiting for him in the living room. He yawned and rubbed his eyes as he shuffled into the room. 

"Why are you up?"

"You're going to work, right?" Satoshi asked curiously and watched Nino with a tiny smile on his face. Nino looked still sleepy and his mop of hair, usually carefully styled looked a mess right now. 

"Yes, it's Monday after all. Ah, I hate Mondays. They are the worst."

"How so?"

"Because the weekend has ended and I have to go back to work again and deal with stupid people."

"Stupid people?"

Nino giggled at the confused look on Ohno's face and moved closer to rub his cheek. "Don't worry about it."

Ohno pouted but then nodded in agreement. He smiled at the soft touch until Nino blushed slightly and put a hand through his hair, frowning when his fingers caught in the knots. 

"Bath, yes… If you are awake already, how about you prepare breakfast?"

"I will not burn the kitchen down!" 

"I would hope so," Nino snorted. "Just toast and coffee is enough, after all."

Ohno pouted but stood when Nino vanished in the bathroom and shortly after Ohno could hear the sounds of the shower turned on so that he shuffled to the kitchen. He was still distrustful towards electric devices, but there were a few things Nino had patiently taught him. 

Of course, there were still short guides pinned on the cabinets for him to follow the right steps because he sometimes got confused as to what to do first and what to do afterwards. Ohno turned on the coffee machine, then checked the water and coffee beans before pressing the button and listened to it working. He stared at it for a second trying to remember what he forgot when he gasped and hurriedly grabbed the cup from the side to put under the machine after the first few drops landed on the drip tray instead of in the cup for Nino to drink.

He then frowned as he pulled out the white bread and cut a few slices, putting them in another machine and pressed down the button, to warm up the bread. 

That done, Ohno decided what to pull out of the fridge for them to eat with the bread and poured juice for himself.

He then sat down on the table, grinning as he laid flowers and even a little heart with the precut vegetables that Nino stored in the fridge for breakfast and snacks during the day. He usually cut up more during dinner because he said it was more comfortable that way. 

"Feeling artistic?" Nino said with a chuckle, as he sat the coffee clutched in between his hands. Ohno looked up as he heard the voice, pouting slightly as he saw that Nino was already dressed fully in a boring suit and his hair was all back in order. It was always boring to see Nino in his work attire he thought unhappily. He had known right from the beginning that he didn't want to work somewhere where he was forced to dress like that. 

"Bored," Ohno agreed after a moment, as he took his bread and put butter on it to munch and eat some of the vegetables, very careful as not to destroy the hearts. They were for Nino after all, but the other decided not to mention them as he ate breakfast. 

"Getting back to the main topic, though: Why are you up?" Nino asked again. Ohno usually liked to sleep in if possible. 

Ohno moved his shoulder in a tiny fraction, and Nino furrowed his brows. 

"What is it Oh-chan."

"I promised you to accompany you to work!" Ohno declared, and Nino blinked. 

"I know you said it to my friends to stop their interrogation. But you don't have to. I'll be fine."

"I want to," Ohno said with a pout and put his breakfast down. "I don't like that there is someone around who wants to hurt you."

"They don't want to hurt me necessarily," Nino said carefully and grimaced when Ohno glared slightly as if saying that it didn't matter. 

He sighed and then nodded. He supposed that Ohno would give up walking him soon enough and if that meant Ohno would leave the house a bit more, it was not bad. 

"Okay, but then we should leave, or I'll be late. Here you take this key to let yourself in later," Nino said when they were at the entry. He dropped the key in Ohno's palm and smiled a bit at the confused but happy look on Ohno's face as he slipped in his sandals. 

Nino held back as he let Ohno open the door and lock it with the key before walking down with him and to his workplace. It was not too far, but it was a different direction than Ohno usually walked, so Nino was strict when he looked him into the eyes in front of the office building.

"I want you to take your phone with you all the time until you are more secure as to where to walk," he said. "If you are lost you can call me then, okay?"

"Uhn!" Ohno said with a grin and saluted as Nino chuckled and finally turned around to enter the building and go to work. 

— 

It has been three weeks since Ohno had decided to accompany Nino to and later in the evening comes to walk him home. It was endearing, and it was nice to walk with someone else. Their evening walks were often longer since their feet would bring them to the park as if they had a mind of their own. 

Those strolls were the best. They would calmly walk beside each other or talk about whatever happened during the day. Ohno listened quietly when Nino moaned about stupid customers and even stupider colleagues, and Ohno would speak about a painting he had made or a youtube channel he had found that talked about food, or art. Sometimes - even if that were very seldom - Ohno would talk about some people he had encountered in the hundreds of years as a genie or even about the little he remembered about his life before. Still, those memories were hazy at best and often made Ohno sad without him being able to explain it fully. So Nino tended to avoid asking questions about it. 

Today he finished earlier than planned though. And since he had done a few days overtime now, his boss had insisted that he went home earlier. 

He rubbed his arms as he looked around to see if Ohno had arrived yet, but since it was almost two hours earlier, he would be appalled if so. He had written Ohno a message though because he knew Ohno would be upset if he didn't. The former genie had not answered though, so Nino was sure he hadn't read it yet. 

Nino sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was stupid. He should go home alone and then drag Ohno for some grocery shopping. It was just the same as a month ago, so no need to feel so strange. Still, it was hard for him to brush away the feeling of being watched.

"You've gotten stupid, Ninomiya. Better get used to being alone again," he grumbled to himself and briskly started walking. If Ohno had read the message and was on his way, he would see him, and if not, he would meet him at home. Both were acceptable outcomes, he thought as he tried to think of what to make for dinner. How about Hamburger steak with steamed veggies and rice? That sounded about right, he thought, feeling a bit lighter as he fastened his steps when he came across a dimly lit alley. 

He was suddenly yanked at his elbow and cried out in shock as his back hit something hard suddenly stealing all the air from his lungs which coupled with a hand on top of his mouth stopped the noise effectively. He stared with wide eyes into the face of his ex. 

"Hiro," he mouthed, already lost his voice because of his shock. 

"Happy to see me, little minx? Time to come home, don't you think?" he said, and Nino choked when an arm was pressed against his throat, and Hiro's hand gripped his wrist tightly. 

He felt shivers crawl over his skin as he smelled the alcohol on his breath and hissed as the grip got even tighter. Hiro had broken his wrist twice when they were together, and it had never been the same since then. He felt tears in his eyes as he wriggled around to get free and make Hiro let go of his neck at least that he could breathe. 

"Let me go."

"Oh, I don't think so. It would be best if you came with me where you belong not to that skinny little boy. He can't give you what you need."

Nino gasped slightly as he tried to push him away. Ohno gave him plenty. More than he would ever need and more than Hiro could ever offer. Besides, Ohno felt like home, not like hell like Hiro did.

"Just leave. I won't go to the police. Please. You know you are not allowed near me," he pressed out, feeling his vision going fuzzy. 

"The police doesn't scare me. And who told you I would even give you that chance? No, you should be caged and be happy if the chain I would put around your pretty neck even allows you free movement in our apartment."

"You're crazy," Nino choked, realising that Hiro would rather see him dead than free which was overly scary and he began to shiver because of fright. This was horrible. 

"Nino!" he heard Ohno's shout suddenly and closed his eyes. He didn't know if in relief or fear for the other, but the next thing he fully realised was that the pressure on his throat was gone and he could finally breathe freely again. He sank to the floor and curled up as he tried to catch his breath. 

"Nino, are you okay? Nino, does anything hurt?" Ohno was suddenly in front of him, taking his face in between his hands and looked at him worriedly. 

"Hi…Hiro," Nino choked, but Ohno shook his head and caught the tears he hadn't realised ran over his cheeks with his thumbs. 

"Are you okay? He is out of it, he won't hurt you right now," Ohno promised, and Nino lifted his head as he saw Hiro unconscious on the floor and he felt his body shiver even harder at the thought of what could have happened if the other had not appeared.

"Nino look at me. It's okay, ne? You're safe now," Ohno babbled as he tried to grab his phone. "Do you need someone?" Ohno shoved the phone in his face, and Nino took it with shaking fingers as he called the police. He knew they needed to know. He was shaky when he talked with the man on the other end and then let the phone fall to the floor as he buried his head finally in Ohno's chest, crying softly. 

"Thank you, thank you, even if you were stupid to get yourself in danger," Nino said in a low voice that Ohno had problems to understand. 

He closed his eyes and hugged him tighter while being careful as not to hurt him in his arms. He would always bring himself to danger if it meant he could protect Nino. The other was just so important to him even if the worlds to tell Nino seemed always to fail him. 

Ohno buried his nose in the sweet-smelling hair whispering his apologies against them for being late as he let Nino weep against him.


	9. Chapter 9

Nino looked very small as he talked to the police that came after his call. He looked shaken and vulnerable and still so very pale because he had been crying so much earlier. Ohno just wanted to take him in his arms again and bring him home (even if he feared that he would get them lost first. He had never been anywhere close to the police station.)

It was strange to be questioned about the attack, but Ohno answered honestly until they were allowed to go finally home after Nino was even checked by a doctor and told to stay home for a few days because of his injuries. 

Nino was tired when they were finally home - they had taken a cab for the short ride because Nino hadn’t wanted to walk anymore. Ohno was okay with it. With everything, if he was honest if Nino would just smile at him again. 

It had been only hours, and Ohno was already missing the bright smile of the other man, but he understood somehow that he had to be patient. 

“How are you feeling?” Ohno asked as he handed him a mug of tea and sat down on the sofa beside him. Nino was bundled up in a blanket, hugging a hot water bottle that looked like a plush penguin. He was hugging it close to himself and only lifted one hand to take the tea. 

“I don’t know,” Nino mumbled and sighed. He closed his eyes and leant carefully against Ohno. Ohno smiled fondly. He couldn’t help it since he liked cuddling with Nino and put a comforting arm around him. 

“What will happen to him?”

“Don’t care much, not yet, but I will find out when it’s time. Sho will make sure of that.”

“Now you stay home, though?”

“Uhn,” Nino said and smiled. “At least until the weekend is over,” he promised and rubbed his face. “I think I would like to go to bed.”

“Of course, I will help you,” Ohno took the cup of tea that Nino had barely touched and put it down again, before helping Nino on his feet. The other man was still shaky, but he was soon after the sheets, holding to Ohno’s hand, and pulling him close until Ohno had no other choice but to lay down beside him. 

Nino cuddled up to him, his arms again hugging the water bottle and closed his eyes. He sighed softly and squeezed Ohno’s hands. “Stay, please,” he whispered, and Ohno had no chance but to agree. Every other answer seemed to be too cruel that night. 

— 

“Question,” Nino mumbled the next morning after they had a very awkward and stiff breakfast and Ohno looked up, nodding almost excitedly. He was just happy that Nino talked again.

“What is it?”

“Why? Why did you come? Why did you apologise, and how did you fight him so easily?”

“Did you ever wonder what I was when I lived before?” Ohno asked and tilted his head. Nino blinked a few times and then smiled a bit shyly. 

“Sometimes, but asking felt too intrusive. So I didn’t.”

“I grew up in a ninja village and learnt a lot there,” he said in the end. “I was awful, selfish and greedy. So, of course, I fell for the curse of being a genie.”

“A cute one,” Nino piqued up, his cheeks slightly red as he realised what he had just uttered out loud.

“Thanks,” Ohno said with a chuckle. “I think the training stuck even after all these centuries. And of course, I apologise. I swore to protect you,” he said with a pout. “I don’t want anybody to hurt you.”

“Why?” Nino asked again, feeling frustrated, sad and as if everything was just too much, but he couldn’t even say what it was that was too much. It felt prickly under his skin, and he had to rub his arms. “I don’t understand. I just used you to not be alone after that fucked-up relationship.”

“You didn’t use me,” Ohno disagreed and Nino narrowed his eyes with a little huff, as he jumped to his feet, he had to move, or he would go crazy. His fingers clawing into his upper arms and Ohno got up to put his hands on top of them, rubbing the stiff fingers until Nino let out a shuddering breath. 

“I did,” he said weakly, sinking against Ohno, who hugged him tightly. 

“No, you genuinely wanted to help me. Otherwise, the curse would have taken place. You are still a human Kazu. Humans have hope and are vulnerable while being so incredibly strong. You wanted to trust someone again. Yes, maybe you wanted to fight your loneliness as well, but you would have never forced me to stay if I wanted to leave. Hell, you tried to make me leave a few times and look for a proper job and an apartment.”

“I didn’t really try though,” Nino mumbled, his voice muffled against Ohno’s shoulder, and Ohno ruffled his hair. “I still don’t understand why you don’t just run. I’m messed up. You could have gotten hurt yesterday, and it would have been my fault. He is so strong.”

“He made me so very angry. His hands on you… There is no way I would be able to leave, Kazu.”

“Why, though?”

Ohno sighed and forced Nino to look at him. Nino nibbled on his lips as he carefully looked back and Ohno chuckled as he closed his lips on top of Nino’s for a small chaste kiss. “Because,” he answered and rubbed his cheeks when Nino blushed very cutely. “I want to protect you, and I want to stay with you. I hope one day you’ll believe me. But that is not today.”

Nino blushed an adorable red and Ohno hugged him for a second longer, before steering him back to the sofa. “Rest,” he said, and Nino hummed in agreement as he laid down. As he fell asleep he could feel Ohno’s warm fingers caressing the marks on his throat and even if his breath hitched slightly he was not scared about someone touching him there, and it was a first since a long time. 

—

It had taken a few days until Nino calmed down and the shadows left their eyes, even if he still didn’t leave the house alone. But that was okay. Ohno was happy to accompany him for a while longer since he also didn’t want to leave Nino alone. 

It had helped when Sho had called and explained that since his ex had not followed the court orders, he had to go to jail for a while. Nino’s shoulders seemed to relax with those words, and he looked less if something or someone was following them. 

Ohno was happy when Nino smiled at him in the early morning or late nights, and the time he fell silent got less and less as he pondered over what happened. 

Nino was staring at the picture Ohno had to spend a few days now to draw. It was a picture of Nino, but Nino wondered if it was him or how Ohno saw him. He had never thought of himself as beautiful. But Ohno had made him stunning. His eyes were full of sorrow, pain, and hope, and Nino wondered how Ohno was able to paint it all simultaneously. 

“Is that what you see when you look at me?” he whispered?

“I only draw what I see. Everything else is stupid,” Ohno said and observed him. 

“You drew me way too beautiful.”

“I didn’t do you any justice though.” 

Nino looked at him in wonder, and Ohno looked back. “I wish I could show you the way I see you. You would be surprised, and maybe you would lose the disbelief in the truth of my feelings.”

“You love me,” Nino whispered, and Ohno nodded. 

“I do.”

Nino gasped in surprise, tears suddenly springing to his eyes, the hope Ohno had sensed in his eyes overflowing as it changed slowly to knowledge.

Ohno sat down beside Nino one evening and linked their hands slowly, making sure not to scare Nino and give him time to draw back, but Nino didn’t, and Ohno’s heart sang. Nino squeezed his fingers and leant against him. He sighed deeply as he fully sank against him, closing his eyes. 

“Thank you,” Nino whispered, and Ohno buried his nose in his hair. 

He smiled softly and tugged him closer when Nino giggled. He knew that he didn’t need to fear to have to be alone in the future, and that was enough for now. 

— 

Nino frowned down at his watch as he sat on the stone wall in front of his office building. His legs were swaying back and forth as he waited for Ohno. Since he went back to work, Ohno still demanded to be allowed to accompany to and from the office and Nino had to swear to him to always wait from now on. 

He was already sitting here for almost thirty minutes, and Ohno has still not appeared. He sighed and leant back on his hands to look into the sky, which was slowly changing colours the later it got. 

“I’m sorry!” Ohno shouted suddenly, and he looked down. He grinned when he saw Ohno running up to him and came to a stop close to him. Ohno supported his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath and Nino cocked his head as he allowed him to do so. 

“You’re late,” Nino scolded when Ohno looked up, and Ohno smiled sheepishly. “What happened?”

“I got lost?” Ohno offered, and Nino lifted his eyebrow. 

“How? I thought you wanted to stay in the park and paint.”

“I did it!” Ohno yelled, suddenly giddy and lifted a bag. “And someone liked my painting.”

“And he gave you a bag in exchange for it?” Nino asked with a lifted eyebrow. “We really need to talk about payment for things if so,” he snorted. 

“What?” Ohno asked in confusion his eyes going to the bag before he huffed. “You are joking,” he realised, and Nino giggled as he jumped off the wall walking over to Ohno to hold out his hand for Ohno to take it. 

But Ohno was still grinning excitedly, and instead of taking the offered hand, he handed him the bag. 

“It’s a gift!” Ohno declared when Nino looked questioningly at him. “For you,” he added for good measure, shaking the bag when Nino still just looked at him. 

Nino chuckled at the silly antics and took the bag. He weighed it in his hand and smiled at the nervous man beside him. “What is it?”

“Check it, please.”

“What is the occasion?” Nino asked, and Ohno pursed his lips. 

Then he gasped. “Oh… Happy Birthday, Kazu,” he said then clearly pronouncing the words and Nino giggled. 

“Yes, oh. I wondered when you would remember,” he teased, and Ohno pouted slightly. 

His hand cupped his cheek, and he placed a chaste kiss on the other cheek, just shy of his lips and Nino smiled fondly at him. 

Ohno smiled and rubbed his chin before pointing at the bag. “Check it, please. I paid for it with the money I got for the painting. I swear I didn’t use your card money,” he said with a pout. 

Nino snorted a laugh at those words and shook his head before opening the bag and pilling out a squared wrapped present. It was slightly messy, but the way Ohno was moving from one foot to the other told him that Ohno had done that alone at home. Probably also the reason he was late, Nino thought in amusement. 

He unwrapped the present as carefully as possible and then whistled as he found one of the collector figures of a game he loved. He had a few from the set, but it was a seldom treat because Nino’s wallet wept each time at its prices.

“Your painting made you a lot of money,” he gasped and looked at Ohno. 

“He said I’m good and worth every yen. He also gave me that,” Ohno mumbled sheepishly and handed Nino a card of an agency. Nino lifted his eyebrow in surprise, but not really, he knew that Ohno’s paintings were the best. 

“Wow, this is a reason to celebrate,” he said with a laugh and moved forward to kiss his lips, as he couldn’t stop himself. “And remind me to call Sho. He should look into this, and if you want to sign a contract, he should read it.”

“He said I could earn a lot of money. Then I can help pay,” Ohno said proudly, and Nino hummed in agreement. 

“Sounds great. So celebratory dinner, but since it’s my birthday we are going to have my favourite,” Nino said, sticking out his tongue, but it wasn’t as if Ohno minded. He was fine with whatever as long as it meant he was going to get fed.


	10. Chapter 10

Nino jumped off the wall when the van stopped in front of his office building, and he waved at the driver when Ohno stepped out of the car.

“There you are,” Nino said and frowned. “You let me wait again.”

“I’m sorry, it was hectic,” Ohno said, and Nino nodded as he pointed at the driver. “Tell them goodbye.”

Ohno smiled sheepishly as he jogged over before the car was gone and did as he was told. Nino chuckled softly as it was funny to see Ohno so apologetic. He knew that Ohno’s manners were exemplary. The people who worked with him always complimented him on that. Ohno didn’t have extraordinary things that he demanded from them, but Nino thought that Ohno had to be polite every time and not let them do everything for him. 

Ohno held out his hand and smiled. “Am I forgiven?”

“For not telling them goodbye? Yes,” Nino chuckled and poked his cheek when Ohno pouted. 

“I’m sorry you had to wait. I tried on to be on time, but they had so many questions, and I stumbled over my words and then lost track of my thoughts and then of the time,” Ohno mumbled as he stared at Nino who frowned at him. 

But then Nino sighed softly and tugged him close to himself. He kissed his cheek and then soft lips and nodded. “I know, and I forgive you because you are so cute and I love you.”

Ohno’s eyes lightened up, and Nino rubbed his cheeks with a small chuckle. 

“Tomorrow is opening night, huh?”

“Uhn,” Ohno said and wrinkled his nose. “They told me I had to be there.”

There was another pout on his face, and Nino shook his head fondly. “Of course. What did you think?”

“I gave an interview today they can read it, right? And they don’t need me to look at the stuff I put there.”

“Are you getting embarrassed?” Nino teased and finally linked their fingers. 

“No,” Ohno said, but it was clear that he was lying. Nino giggled and tugged at Ohno’s hand to finally go home. “You will be there, right?”

“I should let you wait,” Nino snorted, and Ohno whined. “I’ll be there. Don’t worry. I don’t have to work after all.”

Ohno smiled, but then tugged at Nino’s arm. Nino turned around and lifted an eyebrow. “Aren’t we going home?”

“I have a surprise for you,” Ohno declared and grinned. “And I want to take you to that ramen stall I like. I want to have ramen tonight.”

Nino smiled and tweaked his nose. “You’ll pay?”

“Of course,” Ohno said with a grin, and Nino nodded in agreement. Ramen sounded good after all. 

Ohno first brought him out for dinner, and Nino chose an empty table to wait for Ohno to get their food. He stared out into the busy streets, lost in thoughts as he waited for the other man, wondering about the sudden surprise. 

He wrinkled his nose as he was sure it was just a suit that would fit tomorrow and rubbed his face. He was so not interested in the exhibition. There would be too many eyes on them than he was comfortable with, and as much as he loved Ohno’s art, he had already seen it all. 

He was worried about Ohno’s reputation if people saw him with him, and it was hard to ignore the fact that if he was with a public figure and publicly known it might be easy for Hiro to search him out again when he got free. But Nino also knew Ohno and their friends would protect them. 

“Curry for you,” Ohno declared as he put the bowl down on the table in front of Nino. “Shoyu with an extra egg for me.” Ohno sat across from him, and Nino looked up in surprise. 

He smiled as he took in the delicious scent of his meal and was happy that Ohno had bought him a meal with extra vegetables for today.

“Why were you frowning?”

“Huh?”

“When I came, you were staring outside and frowning, what’s wrong?”

“Just tired, I suppose. And I don’t have a suit for tomorrow. I just realised. I was supposed to go shopping for it last weekend with you, but your manager picked you up for an emergency.”

“Ah yes,” Ohno said with a frown. “I’m sure we can lend one to you as well. They prepared a few for me for tomorrow, and you have the same size. Don’t worry. If nothing else you wear your favourite clothes. I just want you to be there.”

“I want to look fitting to be your partner.”

“You always are perfect,” Ohno said, and Nino smiled, couldn’t not. Ohno’s voice was so honest, and he tapped his fingers with his own. 

“Thank you, but I would be embarrassed if they take a picture of me, and I’m not up to your standards. And don’t tell me I’m always up to your standards. I know that, but it’s different for the public. They will think I am a gold digger or something.”

“Which is so stupid,” Ohno snorted. If anything it was just thanks to Nino that he had the money now, after all, Nino had provided him with everything until he had earned money and even then it had only been enough for a small help at first. He would never be able to give Nino back enough, but he knew there was no way that he could announce that. 

“Will you tell me about the surprise?”

“No, you’ll see after dinner. So hurry up if you want to see it,” Ohno said with a giggle, and Nino pouted to which the other rubbed his cheek with his thumb before starting his meal, Nino following shortly after. 

— 

“Where are we?” Nino asked when they stood in front of a big apartment complex. Ohno had taken him for a short walk in the park before they were somehow rounding up again and gotten close to his office. 

“The surprise,” Ohno said with a small smile. “Sho told me your contract for your apartment is close to the end.”

“I was thinking about prolonging it,” Nino mumbled, and Ohno rubbed the palm of his hand. 

“I know, but we both know the apartment is too small for us both.”

Nino stayed silent, but he nodded slightly. It was the truth, after all. It was only a living room, small kitchen and the bedroom. It was hard when they stayed in for a prolonged time. But looking for something new was bothersome, and Nino knew it was hard to finance new apartments. 

“It’s also closer to your workplace. I will feel more comfortable knowing you don’t have to walk as long home anymore all alone.”

Nino chuckled and slightly leant against him. “I’m a big boy. I can look after myself,” he reminded him, and Ohno nodded, but he was still frowning. 

“That might be, but I am still worried. I can’t help but remember how I found you in that dark alley,” Ohno mumbled his voice tight, and Nino squeezed their intertwined hands. He knew it was hard to forget about that and that it had scared Ohno a lot. Damn, it had frightened Nino a lot, and he hadn’t seen himself. “And the security is better. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Nino’s lips twitched, and he nodded. “Me neither,” he mumbled and pecked his lips. “So you already decided for us to move here?”

“Yes? But if you are totally against it we can cancel,” Ohno hurried to say. “I wanted to show you first until I buy it.”

Nino stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brows. “What?”

“The apartments are sold not rented,” Ohno said and cupped his cheeks to stop Nino from complaining. 

“I have the money. I got a lot for the exhibition, and I don’t mind to spend it on a new apartment to share with you. I don’t need it for anything else. And I know that you will continue to support me, right? If I can’t pay for food or clothes.” Ohno looked into his eyes and pecked his lips a few times. “Please allow me to give you a new home. You gave me a new life.”

Nino deflated because honestly, what could he say to those words? He nodded with a small sigh, and Ohno kissed his forehead before putting an arm around his waist. 

“Then show me my surprise,” Nino said, and Ohno grinned happily as he led him into the complex. He talked with a man at the entrance, and they were given a key card, and then Ohno brought them up to their apartment. 

Nino knew he would agree to most things. It wasn’t as if he had many wishes on housing, as long as it was warm and safe and had Ohno in it, he was okay with anything. 

Ohno was giddy beside him though, and Nino couldn’t help the smile as he led Ohno put his hands over his eyes as he brought him inside. There he kissed Nino’s neck and slowly lowered his hands. 

“Happy birthday Kazu,” Ohno whispered in his ear, and Nino wanted to argue, as his eyes fell on the clock on the wall, announcing that it was already past midnight. He chuckled and looked around in awe. Ohno had already bought furniture it seemed. It looked comfortable and already lived-in even if everything still smelled new and unused. 

It was a comfortable feeling. 

“Do you like it?”

“We really need to talk about budget planning,” Nino smiled. “It’s beautiful, but you should stop giving me expensive gifts.”

“Everything for Kazu.”

Nino snorted and turned around to kiss him deeply. “Thank you. I love it.”

“So we can stay tonight?” Ohno asked his eyes sparkling in the dimly lit room. Nino laughed as he nodded. 

“Christening our new home, I guess,” he said, winking at Ohno when the older picked him up to carry him to what Nino supposed was their soon-to-be bedroom. 

— The End —


End file.
